Design Challenge Projects

The challenges listed below have been, or are being, offered by CUED, as part of the Higher Education Gateway programme. The current or most recent challenge is at the top. To obtain details of how to take part in a challenge please refer to the NAGTY Student Academy homepage.

Bridge Design

Spring-Powered Vehicles

The concept of spring-powered vehicles has been around for centuries – Leonardo Da Vinci conceived one, for instance – and continues to represent an intriguing design challenge. The teams' vehicles will tested for speed and accuracy on both level and inlined surfaces.

Low Noise Aircraft Undercarriage

The Aircraft Undercarriage challenge is based on some of the work being undertaken by the "Silent Aircraft Initiative". The students are set the task of investigating sources of noise emanating from a deployed aircraft undercarriage and designing structures to minimise the absolute levels. The modified shrouds etc. are constructed and fitted to a scaled model of an undercarriage. The resulting model is tested by the students in a wind tunnel and the changes recorded and analysed.

Retractable Stadia Roofing

The Retractable Stadia Roofing project is a team-based challenge to design and construct a deployable structure for stadia roofs. The project is farly open and allows the student team the opportunity to investigate a wide range of possibilities and develop skill in analysis, review and detailed design.